Fur seal and process for preparing same



p 1961 s. J. PINGREE 3,001,391

FUR SEAL AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING SAME Filed March 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N X 7 C) Ll T E M x x x A I y/ 4 J "1 INVENTOR (D SAMUEL J. PINGREE BY 3P0,

ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 5. J. PINGREE 01,391

FUR SEAL AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING Filed March 18, 1959 FI CE. 3. we 2 ilnited States Patent 3,001,391 FUR SEAL AND PROCESS FOR PREPARDQG SAME Samuel J. Pingree, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Fonlre Fur Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Dela- This invention relates to anew fur product and a process for preparing it and more particularly to fur seal having new and desirable properties for use in making fur seal garments.

According to the present invention, a fur seal is produced by shearing a .fur seal pelt containing the guard hair, below the spatula portion of the guard hair, or by shearing a seal pelt, with or without removing the guard hair, so that the fur fiber has a length when measured in situ of not more than approximately 7-9.5 mm. (0.280.37 in.). This provides adiiferent and attractive sheen or luster and a fur seal having an unusual and entirely different appearance from presently known fur seal. The fur seal of the present invention is particularly valuable for the preparation of sport garments or other informal garments.

Among the several objects of the present invention are the provision of new fur seal; the provision of fur seal having a comparatively straight fiber surface; the provision of fur seal having a different and attractive sheen or luster; the provision of fur seal of the elassdescribed which can be prepared from second or poorer quality fur seal pelts than heretofore employed; the provision of fur seal whichcan be treated or dyed yet retain the foregoing desirable qualities; and the provision of methods for preparing such fur seal. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the products and methods hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a drawing on a greatly enlarged scale of pertinent segments of a fur seal pelt guard hair;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the guard hair rotated approximately 90; and

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged view of a fur fiber from a seal pelt, and showing further enlarged cross sections and segments of the surface at various points.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Fur seal, and particularly the fur seal prepared from pelts from the Alaska fur seal, has been among the favorite materials from which fur garments are prepared. These pelts are processed to provide-a fur seal which is not only resistant to deterioration but which possesses improved and attractive characteristics not present in the pelt in its original condition. Among the steps customarily carried out in preparing these fur seal pelts for use in the manufacture of fur garments are the steps of removing the guard hair, and dyeing the'fur. portion of the pelt to provide a superior and valuable fur seal. Inall of these processes, however, there has been no attempt to decrease the length of the'fur. of the pelt and indeed effort has consistently been made to avoid any such decreasein the length of the fur.

In accordance with the present invention, it has now been found that a valuable fur seal having properties which are both new and unexpected can be obtained by appropriately shearing a seal pelt which has the fur and hair in its original condition. This shearing operation may be and preferably is carried out without removing the guard hair and the fur seal thus obtained is in all respects satisfactory. However, if preferred, the guard hair may be removed before the shearing operation is carried out. The shearing operation may be carried out by shearing to a point below the spatula portion of the guard hair if this is still present, or, if preferred, so that the fur fiber has a length when measured in situ of not more than approximately 7-9.5 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.). When the shearing operation has been carried out to conform to these limitations it is found that the appearance of the entire fur seal, except for the area adjacent to the flipper holes, has been radically and pleasingly altered.

The sheared furseal thus prepared has a springy and substantially straight fiber surface and possesses both a sheen or luster and a golden orlighter color not found on the pelt before shearing. This is true whether or not the guard hair is removed. Furthermore, the fur seal thus secured is of substantially uniform color and may be directly employed-in the manufacture of fur garments without the lengthy and difiicult steps of processing and dyeing hitherto utilized in preparing fur seal. In addition, a valuable and salable fursealcan be made in this manner from seal pelts which Wouldnot be suitable for processing in the previously utilized manner.

Referring now tothe drawings, the structure of a typical guard hair is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The guard hair is oval in cross section throughout. substantially .its entire length, and it narrows *as one approaches the tip before again widening to a spatula portion at the tip. The mature guard hair normally projects beyond the fur fibers which have previously been regarded as the desirable feature of the finished fur seal, and thisguard hair has been customarily removed as one. of theregular operations through which the seal pelt passes in the course of its processing to the finished state. Since the total length of the hair is shown, the portion below numeral 1 is located below the epidermis of the pelt. The constriated portion located below thespatula extends downwardly from approximately 5 (see FIG. 2). From 5 the hair then widens out to form the spatula area 7.

The fur fiber, as shown inFIG. 3, leaves the epidermis at 9 and during the remaining portions of its length, un-

dulates. This undulation ,is moderate up to approximately 11 and then becomes considerably more pronounced. Careful examination of the surface of the fiber reveals a change in the structure of the surface coinciding with this change in undulation.

Referring now to the column at the right in FIG. 3, it will be noted that the scales on the surface of the fur fiber are acuminate elongate up to approximately point 11. Thereupon a change occurs, the scales become ovate acuminate elongate and then ovate elongate throughout the remainder of the length of the fiber.

If the seal pelt is sheared to a point 5, just below the spatula portion of the guard hair, it ,will be found that the fur fibers have been sheared to approximately a point 13. This removes thespatula portion of the guard hair and also a substantial part of the compara tively kinky portion of the fur fiber. Surprisingly this operation produces a transformation in the appearance of the pelt in a number of different respects. From a dark brown the pelt has become a dark golden color, from a comparatively kinky surface the surface has become springy and much straighter, and the entire pelt has achieved a sheen not found before the shearing operation has taken place. The guard hair not only tends to support and straighten the fur fibers but imparts a shiny silver sparkle to the pelt.

If, instead of shearing to approximately the point just below the spatula portion of the guard hair, the pelt is sheared so that the guard hair and fur fibers when measured in situ have a length not substantially in excess of 7-9.5 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.), even more surprising results are secured. The color of the pelt has been changed to a golden, lighter color, the surface has increased springiness and has lost substantially all kinkiness, and the sheen or luster has increased.

Although, in accordance with the present invention, it is unnecessary to remove the guard hair, this guard hair may be extracted as in the past, if desired. When this is done and the pelt is sheared so that the fur fibers, when measured in situ (without straightening) have a length not substantially in excess of 7-9.5 mm. (0.28- 0.37 in.) many of the same features outlined above are achieved. The color of the pelt has been changed from a dark brown to a golden color, the fiber surface is less kinky than before shearin-g and the pelt has gained a sheen or luster not present in the unsheared pelt. The pelt, however, does not possess the silver sparkle men tioned above and the surface is not quite as uniform as the surface secured by shearing a pelt which still contains the guard hair.

While the sheared pelt of the present invention may be subsequently processed, it will be found that the dyeing operation, heretofore employed with seal pelts, is unnecessary in the production of highly desirable and valuable fur seal. The fur seal of the present invention can, however, be dyed if desired.

In addition if a seal pelt is sheared, without removing the guard hair, to point 5 or below but not so low that the guard hair has a length of 7-9.5 mm. or less, the color may be lightened and the fur fibers still further straightened by known methods. By doing this, the resulting fur seal has substantially all the properties secured by shearing to a length not substantially in excess of 7-9.5 mm., but the guard hair and fur fibers can have a length of approximately 9.5-11.5 mm. when measured in situ.

While in the past it has been the customary policy of the governments involved to kill only certain types of fur bearing seals in the rookeries, in recent years the increasing seal population has caused a revision in this policy. Because of this increasing seal population, it has become important tokill a larger proportion of the fur bearing seals even though the pelts secured from a number of these would not be suitable for processing by the previously known methods in order to obtain fur seal for use in making fur seal garments. By means of the present invention these seal pelts can be transformed into useful fur seal even though they are unsuit able for the previously known fur seal processes. For example, many pelts now being taken in order to reduce the seal population are of relatively poor quality, unsuitable for processing by previous methods, because of poor fur fiber growth. The fur fibers may be sparse, or short in length or poorly secured in the follicles in the epidermis. Fur seal pelts, in general, display zones of color variation, running into white, black, gray, brown and red tones, and also a pattern appearance as to texture resulting from the hairs lying in random directions in various portions of its area. Random orientation of the guard hairs contributes to the variegated appearance of a pelt as taken from a fur seal. The spatula portions of the guard hairs are of dark pigmentation. Where they lie flat, the appearance is dark; where they lie on edge, the appearance is lighter. Also, the kinky tips of the fur fibers are of darker pigmentation than the underlying portions of the fibers. By shearing off the guard hairs and fur fibers as above described throughout the entire area of the pelt to a substantially uniform level at which their remaining length, measured in situ, does not exceed 7-9.5 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.), both the spatula portion of the guard hairs and the kinky tips of the fur fibers are removed, and at this level a surface of substantially uniform golden color and improved texture and luster is exposed throughout the entire area. At this level, the color of the guard hair blends attractively with the color of the fur fibers. Thus, from a pelt of unslightly variegated appearance, there is produced a product having an entirely different appearance, and one that is unusual and attractive.

The exact relationship between the structural diiferences in the guard hair and fur fiber on the one hand, and the pelt before and after shearing in accordance with the present invention, is not understood. The shearing operation, however, when carried out in accordance with the principles specified above alters the seal pelt in a manner which is a change in kind rather than degree. Not only is the color changed completely but the luster, feel and appearance of the pelt are unrelated to these characteristics of either the unsheared pelt or fur seal prepared by previously known processes.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above methods and products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fur product consisting of a fur seal pelt sheared on the fur side throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers of the product are not substantially longer than 7-95 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.) measured in situ and at which level the kinky pigmented tips of the fur fibers of the pelt are removed and a surface of substantially uniform golden color and improved texture and luster is exposed throughout the entire area of the product.

2. A fur product consisting of a fur seal pelt with the guard hairs therein sheared on the furside throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers and guard hairs of the product are not substantially longer than 7-9.5 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.) meas ured in situ and at which level the kinky pigmented tips of the fur fibers of the pelt and the spatula portion of the guard hairs of the pelt are removed and a surface of substantially uniform golden color and improved texture and luster is exposed throughout the entire area of the product.

3. The method of treating a fur seal pelt which, as taken from the fur seal, is characterized on the fur side thereof by irregularity of color, texture and luster over the extent of its area, comprising shearing the pelt on the fur side throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers of the product are not substantially longer than 7-9.5 mm. (0.28-0.37 in.) measured in situ and at which level the kinky pigmented tips of the fur fibers of the pelt are removed and a surface of substantially uniform golden color and improved texture and luster is exposed throughout the entire area of the product.

4. The method of treating a fur seal pelt which, as taken from the fur seal, is characterized on the for side thereof by irregularity of color, texture and luster over the extent of its area, comprising shearing the pelt, with the guard hairs therein throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers and guard hairs of the product are not substantially longer than 7-95 mm. (0.28-0.37 in) measured in situ and at which level the kinky pigmented tips of the fur fibers of 6 the pelt and the spatula portion of the guard hairs are removed and a surface of substantially uniform golden color and improved texture and luster is exposed throughout the entire area of the product.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 87,894 Williams Mar. 16, 1869 213,736 Castle Apr. 1, 1879 506,192 Dunkerley Oct. 3, 1893 1,152,911 Ryan Sept. 7, 1915 1,737,086 Horstmann Nov. 26, 1929 

